Projector Reviews Images

Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Bright Room Home Entertainment: BenQ TK800

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Art Feierman
  1. The 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report
  2. The 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report: List of Winners
  3. Best in Class – Under $1000 Value Home Theater: Epson Home Cinema 2100 and 2150
  4. Best in Class – Under $1000 Performance Home Entertainment: Epson Home Cinema 1060
  5. Best in Class – Under $1000 Value Home Entertainment: ViewSonic PJD7828HDL
  6. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Most Innovative: Smart Projector: Optoma UHD51A
  7. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Performance 4K Capable Home Theater: Epson Home Cinema 5040UB
  8. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Performance Home Theater: Optoma UHD50
  9. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Value 4K Capable Home Entertainment: ViewSonic PX727-4K
  10. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Bright Room Home Entertainment: BenQ TK800
  11. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Most Innovative: Smart Projector: LG HU80KA
  12. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Performance Home Theater: JVC DLA-RS440U (And DLA-X590)
  13. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Performance Home Theater Runner-Up: Acer VL7860
  14. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Performance Home Theater Runner-Up: Sony VPL-VW285ES
  15. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Performance Home Theater: Sony VPL-VW885ES
  16. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Performance Home Theater: Sony VPL-VZ1000ES
  17. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Value Home Theater: Epson LS10500
  18. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Value Home Theater: Sony VPL-VW385ES
  19. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Performance Home Entertainment: Optoma UHZ65
  20. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Winners – Charts
  21. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners Under $1000 Class
  22. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners $1000-$2500 Class
  23. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners $2500-$5000 Class
  24. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners $5000-$25,000 Class
benq-tk800
3000 lumens of 4K UHD resolution, for only $1499 list price.

The BenQ TK800 is, first and foremost, a 4K Capable 4K UHD projector claiming 3,000 lumens and relying on a typical lamp design. It is one of BenQ’s two models using Texas Instruments “entry level” 4K UHD DLP chip (1920x1080 x4), which is a pixel shifter. That makes it most similar to 1920x1080 x2 pixel shifters in resolution (ie. Epson and JVC), from a perceived sharpness standpoint.

And it should have the advantage in that regard. Most of that advantage comes from the single chip design – no 3 panels to align. Still, others, such as the Epson 5040UB, may seem every bit as sharp – or even sharper, due to how good their detail enhancement and sharpening processing is.

BenQ TK800 Overview

The TK800 is a bright room projector. It claims 3,000 lumens, and measures 2850 in its brightest mode, so it got within 5% of claim, which is a lot better than most projectors we measure. More to the point, it has several modes that can put some pretty respectable looking imagery up on the screen with over 2,200 lumens!

That makes this a very suitable projector for brighter rooms, when paired with the proper screen, aka an ALR type – that designation is for light rejecting screens that optically absorbs light from the sides, etc. That can work great (see our bright room video).

$1000-$2500 Best in Class Best Bright Room Home Entertainment BenQ TK800

With a street price under $1,500, the TK800 isn’t the least expensive 4K UHD – that honor falls to its ViewSonic twin, the PX747-4K, which we did not review. That said, we have compared the BenQ HT2550 (same as the TK800, but for the lower lumens and different color wheel), to the PX727-4K. Again, they all come out of the same factory, and are mostly identical, except for firmware.

BenQ TK800
The BenQ TK800 is a true bright room projector, putting great color on the screen in the face of ambient light.

This BenQ comes with a 3-year parts and labor warranty, but your reasons for choosing this projector will be for its strengths in terms of providing a bit more accurate color than most DLP competitors, and the extra brightness. Where the TK800 comes up short – and all the other 4K UHD DLPs in this Class – is black level performance. So, while we count this as an affordable, bright projector, it is still more HE – home entertainment, than home theater.

I have always liked the BenQs because they almost always seem to be the more home theater oriented of the DLPs, and that includes even this TK800 with its HE-type color wheel.

The BenQ TK800: A True Bright Room Projector

Nice and bright, good color, respectable sound for a small projector, and overall a good feature set. $1,499 puts you into a projector that lets you enter the world of 4K content, and is also bright enough, that when properly set up, can look great without the need for that home theater or cave environment.

BenQ’s ad campaign asks you which BenQ – the TK800 or the HT2550 is best for you.  My 2 cents: For most folks, it will be the TK800. Those looking to the HT2550 and demanding a higher level of Home Theater, are also likely, I think, to spend more for a projector with better black level performance. But, since the rooms where you are likely to be running the TK800 are almost certainly going to have some ambient light (even at night), black levels are going to get washed out a bit. All the more reason to start with a very bright projector, like the TK800.

This is a fun projector, it’s 46-48ms input lag makes it an acceptable gaming projector (anything under mid 50’s lag). Low 30s input lag would be better, but most will be fine with the TK800! Break out the sports, the Marvel movies, Blacklist, Game of Thrones. The TK800 on the big screen will properly entertain you.

BenQ TK800 Review

benq-tk800
3000 lumens of 4K UHD resolution, for only $1499 list price.

The BenQ TK800 is, first and foremost, a 4K Capable 4K UHD projector claiming 3,000 lumens and relying on a typical lamp design. It is one of BenQ’s two models using Texas Instruments “entry level” 4K UHD DLP chip (1920x1080 x4), which is a pixel shifter. That makes it most similar to 1920x1080 x2 pixel shifters in resolution (ie. Epson and JVC), from a perceived sharpness standpoint.

And it should have the advantage in that regard. Most of that advantage comes from the single chip design – no 3 panels to align. Still, others, such as the Epson 5040UB, may seem every bit as sharp – or even sharper, due to how good their detail enhancement and sharpening processing is.

BenQ TK800 Overview

The TK800 is a bright room projector. It claims 3,000 lumens, and measures 2850 in its brightest mode, so it got within 5% of claim, which is a lot better than most projectors we measure. More to the point, it has several modes that can put some pretty respectable looking imagery up on the screen with over 2,200 lumens!

That makes this a very suitable projector for brighter rooms, when paired with the proper screen, aka an ALR type – that designation is for light rejecting screens that optically absorbs light from the sides, etc. That can work great (see our bright room video).

$1000-$2500 Best in Class Best Bright Room Home Entertainment BenQ TK800

With a street price under $1,500, the TK800 isn’t the least expensive 4K UHD – that honor falls to its ViewSonic twin, the PX747-4K, which we did not review. That said, we have compared the BenQ HT2550 (same as the TK800, but for the lower lumens and different color wheel), to the PX727-4K. Again, they all come out of the same factory, and are mostly identical, except for firmware.

BenQ TK800
The BenQ TK800 is a true bright room projector, putting great color on the screen in the face of ambient light.

This BenQ comes with a 3-year parts and labor warranty, but your reasons for choosing this projector will be for its strengths in terms of providing a bit more accurate color than most DLP competitors, and the extra brightness. Where the TK800 comes up short – and all the other 4K UHD DLPs in this Class – is black level performance. So, while we count this as an affordable, bright projector, it is still more HE – home entertainment, than home theater.

I have always liked the BenQs because they almost always seem to be the more home theater oriented of the DLPs, and that includes even this TK800 with its HE-type color wheel.

The BenQ TK800: A True Bright Room Projector

Nice and bright, good color, respectable sound for a small projector, and overall a good feature set. $1,499 puts you into a projector that lets you enter the world of 4K content, and is also bright enough, that when properly set up, can look great without the need for that home theater or cave environment.

BenQ’s ad campaign asks you which BenQ – the TK800 or the HT2550 is best for you.  My 2 cents: For most folks, it will be the TK800. Those looking to the HT2550 and demanding a higher level of Home Theater, are also likely, I think, to spend more for a projector with better black level performance. But, since the rooms where you are likely to be running the TK800 are almost certainly going to have some ambient light (even at night), black levels are going to get washed out a bit. All the more reason to start with a very bright projector, like the TK800.

This is a fun projector, it’s 46-48ms input lag makes it an acceptable gaming projector (anything under mid 50’s lag). Low 30s input lag would be better, but most will be fine with the TK800! Break out the sports, the Marvel movies, Blacklist, Game of Thrones. The TK800 on the big screen will properly entertain you.

BenQ TK800 Review

  1. The 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report
  2. The 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report: List of Winners
  3. Best in Class – Under $1000 Value Home Theater: Epson Home Cinema 2100 and 2150
  4. Best in Class – Under $1000 Performance Home Entertainment: Epson Home Cinema 1060
  5. Best in Class – Under $1000 Value Home Entertainment: ViewSonic PJD7828HDL
  6. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Most Innovative: Smart Projector: Optoma UHD51A
  7. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Performance 4K Capable Home Theater: Epson Home Cinema 5040UB
  8. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Performance Home Theater: Optoma UHD50
  9. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Value 4K Capable Home Entertainment: ViewSonic PX727-4K
  10. Best in Class – $1000-$2500 Bright Room Home Entertainment: BenQ TK800
  11. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Most Innovative: Smart Projector: LG HU80KA
  12. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Performance Home Theater: JVC DLA-RS440U (And DLA-X590)
  13. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Performance Home Theater Runner-Up: Acer VL7860
  14. Best in Class – $2500-$5000 Performance Home Theater Runner-Up: Sony VPL-VW285ES
  15. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Performance Home Theater: Sony VPL-VW885ES
  16. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Performance Home Theater: Sony VPL-VZ1000ES
  17. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Value Home Theater: Epson LS10500
  18. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Value Home Theater: Sony VPL-VW385ES
  19. Best in Class – $5000-$25,000 Performance Home Entertainment: Optoma UHZ65
  20. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Winners – Charts
  21. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners Under $1000 Class
  22. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners $1000-$2500 Class
  23. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners $2500-$5000 Class
  24. 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report – Non-Winners $5000-$25,000 Class

Latest Reviews

February 25, 2024

Introducing the Hisense C1: A cube-shaped 4K UHD lifestyle projector with an RGB triple laser light source and integrated JBL ...

February 19, 2024

The BenQ X3100i is a 4LED, 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160p) 0.65" DLP short-throw gaming projector that offers a BenQ-rated ...

January 20, 2024

The BenQ V5000i is a $3,499 smart ultra-short throw 4K projector with RGB triple laser source. Ideal for vibrant, bright ...

January 2, 2024

The BenQ HT3560 is a 4K UHD projector offering vibrant colors and advanced features for $1,599. It offers a manufacturer-rated ...

© 2024 Projector Reviews

crossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram